Margaret de Jesús

Margaret de Jesús (born November 4, 1957 in Brooklyn, New York) is a retired female track and field athlete from Puerto Rico, who competed in the women's 400 metres during her career. She set her personal best (54.23 s) in the event in 1987. Her sole global competition appearance came at the 1984 Summer Olympics where she competed as part of the Puerto Rican women's 4x400 metres relay team. The team did not make the final.[1] Her twin sister Madeline de Jesús also competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics, and won a number of international medals during her career as a long jumper. Both were born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Río Piedras.[2]

International medals
Central American and Caribbean Games
1982 Havana4x400 m relay
Central American and Caribbean Athletics
1977 Jalapa4x400 m relay

Olympic controversy

After Puerto Rico’s Madeline de Jesus came up lame while competing in the long jump, she was unable to run in the 4×400-meter relay at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Madeline enlisted her identical twin sister, Margaret, as an imposter for a qualifying heat. Margaret ran the second leg of the qualifier, and the team advanced. When the chief coach of the Puerto Rican team learned of the ruse, however, he pulled his team out of the final.[3]

References
  1. "Margaret de Jesús Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  2. "Salón de la Fama del Deporte Riopedrense/Exaltados 2005/Margaret De Jesús". www.famadeportesrp.org. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  3. Garriga, Ray. "The Puerto Rican Olympic Committee Friday banned two sisters..." UPI. Retrieved 9 August 2018.


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